Center for Research in Multiscale Science and Engineering

PhD Thesis Defense - Samuele Colombi

Soft and conductive material architectures for flexible electronics: from hydrogels to nanomembranes

When

Apr 14, 2026 from 10:30 AM to 01:00 PM (Europe/Madrid / UTC200)

Where

Sala Polivalent - Edifici A - Campus Diagonal-Besòs (UPC)

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As part of the Doctoral Programme in Polymers and Biopolymers, Samuele Colombi will be defending his PhD thesis on Tuesday, 14th April 2026, at 10:30, at the Escola d’Enginyeria de Barcelona Est (EEBE)

  • Name of the author: Samuele Colombi

  • Thesis title: Soft and conductive material architectures for flexible electronics: from hydrogels to nanomembranes

  • Thesis director: Prof. Carlos Enrique Alemán Llanos

  • Thesis co-director: Prof. José Manual García Torres

This PhD thesis focuses on the development of "soft materials"—flexible, multifunctional substances designed to power the next generation of biomedical, energy, and environmental technologies. Because traditional electronics are often rigid and incompatible with the human body, this research explores how to engineer polymers at the nanoscale to create devices that are as soft as living tissue yet highly functional.

The study centers on three main material "families": hydrogels made from alginate (Alg), hydrogels made from gelatin (GelMA), and ultra-thin membranes made from polylactic acid (PLA). By carefully blending these bases with functional additives like gold nanoparticles, conductive plastics, and enzymes, the research identifies how to fine-tune each material for specific high-tech tasks.